Personal Products

Cellphone companies are forever encouraging us to switch to the newest, most fashionable handset, sometimes long before the existing one is defunct. However, cellphones contain a cocktail of toxic substances that shouldn't be discarded in landfills. Recycling keeps these undesirable elements out of the waste stream and saves the mining and manufacturing impacts of producing new handsets. Consider donating your old phone to charity for recycling when you do need a new one.

For many Americans, a significant proportion of the household garbage can's contents consists of packaging. Even before recycling, think about avoiding waste when you shop. Consider choosing products sold in refillable containers, and make the effort to reuse them. You can even ask your favorite brands and stores to use/stock products that use this kind of packaging if they don't already.